Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-11-24
SIS.
Her Thanksgiving Dream and Its
Realization.

| -
Her Thanksgiving Dream and Its
Realization.
To the double Lighthouse beyant the
creek" the traveller was always directed
when asking for food and lodging for
the night. Singleton Giles lived there.
| He was d clean sbaveu, bullet-headed
old fellow. who never looked old; his
wife was lean old woman, who looked
older. Their daughter was pale-faced
girl of nineteen, who was pretty despite
the fact that she re her long black
hair rolled up in ball just above the
nape of her neck. Her striped home
spun dress was short IN the waist, with
long pocket-hole and much abused
hooks aud-eyes, failed to make her fine
igure look ungainly. She talked little
because she was sad. and worked all
day because she was raised to it. She
had been taught to write and speak
goOG English; which accomplishments,
however, did lot make her ashamed of
her parents. who spoke the old-fashioned
vernacular. They were neat comforta+
bic people and their table furnished
more civilized fare than the fried bacon
and corn pone' of the section.
Iraly don't believe the gals ever goin'
to git over it, said old Giles to his wife,
on the evening before Thanksgiving.
P'rbaps not she replied; but if you
had ernuff brains to grease a bullet
patcbin'. you'd see that all your talk
makes her worse. If she's ermInd ter
NOPE au' nope because AIf never come
back, all your jawin' won't make her
laugh an sing
Giles struck bis cob pipe on the heel
of his shoe to knock out the ashes, and
mis- hopes were almost as dead as the
embers that fell to the floor.
Come Lere, Sis called the old lady to
hsr daughter, who was lifting bucket
tul OF water to the shelf outside the
door. Don't mind your pap, Sis. It's
natcher'l he should want you to be more
cheerful. He's low-sperritted euuff, God |
knows. Remember, too if your Alt |
never come back, none of your brothers |
did, neither
Sis sat down on d stool, and placing |
her elbows on her knees, rested her |
chin On her hands But, ma, | cant |
beiIeve hes dead, she answered. 'It'a |
only SIX months sluce the surrender |
He may come, yet
My poor child, you jess hope so He |
died IN prison, year before the war
ended. The news come loo soon. like |
all Dad news does, ne's dead, and all !
y ur grievin' won bring him back
Il dreamed last night saw him." she
said. rs If thinking aloud.
'WaaI, to morrer's Thanksgivin',' the |
Did lady continued, and Joe Smith aU'
Vina and Susan Nih be here They're
serious eZ preachiu', an you won't feel
Lonesome.
Joe was Sis's cousin, who loved her
in secret, and was painfully dumb in her
presence His hands were excessively
large and his face and head seemed To
have sought compensation in being ext
css5ively small. His sisters favored
him In these salient features of person.
rhey We're girls whose ripe age brought
them no wI5d"m; being Ut that peculiar
kind of frWaleS who assume quiet airs
d. weddings and smoker aud gigQle at
funerals. 1t Promised to be a solemn
festival
Thanksgiving came. An hour before
dinner tune Sis put on her calico Sun
bonnet and stole her way to the road
through The horse lot. The cotton field
snUUe calmly white through the Indian
summer haze. A light wind shook the
branches OF the forest trees and scatter
ri leaves over btr rs she walked along
She placed her loot Upon a log 10y the
way side. to tie her snOe; d squirrel. tax
ing bis Thanksgiving dinner In d hick-
ory overhead, dropped a halt-eaten nut
bel ween her shoulders. Seating herself
at the roO4 of the tree, she put her bon
net i'll her lap and dreamed herself to
sleep. A splashing in the water below
awUke her. A man, dustrgrimed, rag+
geG, bare footed, was cooling his head
10 The stream. He Wiped the water
from his face with dirty handkerchief
tied around bis neck.and wading through
the ford, walked on. She rose to her
feet. He saw her and stopped. Love
is prophetic; and its eye can detect the
object of its devotion arrayed in garb
W hich might deceive our common sight.
'Alf?'-'Sisp-was all they said. What
they did, the squirrel can tell.
Dinner WAS making ready when
they entered the premises by back
route. The mother was crossing the
yard from the kitchen TO the dining
room, carrying dish of potatoes. They
walked up to her arm'in-arm. Wheth
er more surprised at the red bloom in
Sis cheeks or the presence of tramp
with whom her daughter seemed shock
lngly familiar. is not known. She star
ed and gasped:
Ma spoke up the girl, here's my
dreamP
The old lady dropped the dish of po>
tatoes. Then she dropped herself; the
first time, she vows, that she ever faint
ed in her life.
'Thar's no tellin' what's goin' ter hap
pen to er man in this world remarked
old Giles, when he had served turkey
an fixin's all round But l caD tell
what would er happened To Sis if Alf
b hdd been dead in fack. Shed er tollered
him before next spring. But it's all
right now. Well GO To town tomorrow
aud fix things fur weddln' right erWay.
No, never mind. | know you nain't GO,
nuthin'. But l nave. Us all the same
If mans er COED farmer Onst he's ALL
ers a go farmer When you let go
the pow-h handles and picked up a mus
kit, you was as good er worker as ever
follered er mule, and I'm wIllin' ter risk
you beIn' one yit.
Yes All. l raised you, from II poor
orphan boy. My boys air all gone; and
| want you an Sis to make the old place
look scmethIn' like home.
JOS sisters ate heartily and wept
The death of JOS hopes
was also the death of his reticence, and
he broke his record of silence by repeat
edly exclaiming during short pauses in